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Grilled Salmon with Gochujang Sauce Glaze is a bold, flavor-packed way to bring Korean-inspired heat to your grill. The savory-sweet umami of gochujang pairs beautifully with rich salmon, creating a caramelized glaze that’s fast, foolproof, and weeknight-friendly. If you’re looking for new international flavors for grilled foods, this recipe delivers in a big way.
Real talk: my kids have officially declared this their all-time favorite salmon recipe! Yes, even better than the maple chipotle cedar plank salmon recipe that graces the cover of our cookbook, Fire + Wine, which held the #1 spot in their hearts and tastebuds for the last 6 years. These are two picky teenage boys I’m talking about, who are declaring this to the world! That’s saying something. It’s so good, it’s now on our weekly rotation!
Table of Contents
- Why This Recipe Works
- Ingredients for Salmon with Gochujang Sauce
- Preparation
- How to Make Grilled Salmon with Gochujang Sauce Glaze
- Expert Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What To Serve With This Dish
- Tools Used
- Wine Pairing for Grilled Salmon with Gochujang Sauce
- Grilled Salmon with Gochujang Sauce Glaze
Why This Recipe Works
Gochujang loves high heat. Its fermented chili depth caramelizes beautifully on the grill without burning when used as a glaze.
Balanced flavors. Sweet honey, nutty sesame oil, garlic, and ginger round out the heat, making it approachable—even for kids.
Fast and reliable. From prep to plate in about 20 minutes, with clear doneness cues for confident grilling.
Ingredients for Salmon with Gochujang Sauce
- Salmon: Use fresh wild salmon if you can. It’s easiest to use individual salmon filets, but if you can’t find them, buy one larger piece and slice it into 2″ individual filets.
- Gochujang paste: Gochujang (Korean red chili paste) can be found in the international section or Asian food section of most grocery stores, in small red tubs. They even have it at Trader Joe’s.
- Oils: I like a combo of sesame oil (for the gorgeous flavor), and olive oil.
- Aromatics: garlic and ginger (finely minced or microplaned) .
- Honey: to help sweeten and balance.
- Soy sauce: for a little extra umami.
- Rice wine vinegar (or similar mild vinegar): for tang and acid.
- Seasoning: I keep it simple with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Lemon: for topping at the end.
Preparation
Make the sauce: Combine all Gochujang sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
Preheat the grill: Prepare the grill for direct grilling (high heat, about 500°F). Clean and oil the grates.
Prep the salmon: Lightly coat salmon filets with olive oil and season generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
How to Make Grilled Salmon with Gochujang Sauce Glaze
- Grill Salmon flesh-side down: Place salmon on the grill skin-side up (flesh-side down) over direct heat. Grill 3–5 minutes, or until the fish releases easily from the grates and you see visible grill marks or sear.
- Flip and glaze: Flip the salmon so it’s skin-side down. Brush the flesh (the top) generously with the gochujang sauce glaze.
- Finish cooking: Continue grilling for another 5–7 minutes, or until the salmon reaches 135°F internal temperature using an instant-read thermometer.
- Grill the lemon: While the salmon finishes, place lemon halves cut-side down on the grill. Grill until lightly charred with visible grill marks.
- Serve: Remove salmon from the grill, glaze one more time, squeeze a little bit of grilled lemon over the top, and serve immediately. Serve the remaining gochujang sauce on the side.
Expert Tip
Gochujang contains sugar, so always glaze after flipping. Starting with a dry sear on the flesh side prevents burning and gives you better caramelization once the sauce goes on.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Gochujang has heat, but it’s balanced with sweetness and umami. This recipe is medium heat. For less spice, reduce the gochujang to 2 tablespoons and add an extra teaspoon of honey.
Yes. Use a cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Follow the same cooking method.
Absolutely. The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
We recommend pulling salmon at 135°F internal temperature for moist, flaky results. It will carry over slightly as it rests.
What To Serve With This Dish
- Making a big rice bowl with steamed rice and grilled veggies is my favorite way to serve this. Or…
- Grilled Broccolini
- Cucumber Salad
- Grilled corn with lime and chili oil
Tools Used
- Gas or charcoal grill
- Instant-read thermometer
- Silicone basting brush
- Microplane or fine grater
- Long metal fish spatula
Wine Pairing for Grilled Salmon with Gochujang Sauce
Pair this incredibly delicious salmon with gochujang sauce, which has a great mix of savory, spicy, and sweet notes, with a dry to semi-dry Riesling. It works great to balance and brighten all the flavors. You can also pair with a fruity sparkling wine, like Prosecco. The tender, rich salmon meat and flavorful glaze are a great match for the bright, fruity bubbly wine.
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About Vindulge
Mary (a certified sommelier and recipe developer) and Sean (backyard pitmaster) are co-authors of the critically acclaimed cookbooks — Fire + Wine and Fire + Wine Backyard Pizza — and have been creating content for the IACP-nominated website Vindulge since 2009. They live in Oregon on a farm just outside Portland.
Grilled Salmon with Gochujang Sauce Glaze
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Gochujang Sauce
- 3 tablespoons gochujang paste
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or microplaned
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced or microplaned
For the Salmon
- 4 (6 ounce) salmon filets, (or a 1 1/2 pound whole filet, sliced into 2" thick filets)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 lemon, sliced in half
Instructions
- Preheat Grill: Prepare grill for direct grilling, targeting 450-500 degrees Fahrenheit. For a gas grill, set to med-high heat.
- Make Gochujang Sauce: Combine all gochujang sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- Season Salmon: Coat salmon with olive oil, then season with the kosher salt and ground pepper on all sides.
- Grill Salmon: Place salmon on the grill skin-side up (flesh-side down) over direct heat. Grill 3–5 minutes, or until the fish releases easily from the grates.
- Flip and Glaze: Flip the salmon so it’s now skin-side down. Brush the top (flesh) generously with the gochujang sauce. Continue grilling for another 5–7 minutes, or until the salmon reaches 135°F internal temperature using an instant-read thermometer.
- Serve: Remove salmon from the grill, glaze one final time, squeeze grilled lemon over the top, and serve immediately.
For the Grilled Lemon:
- While the salmon is grilling, place the lemon halves on the grill, flesh side down, for 3-5 minutes, or until caramelized and nicely seared. Remove and set aside. Squeeze some of the juices over the finished salmon just before eating.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
